Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Transdermal strip is a medicated adhesive strip that is placed on skin to deliver a specific dose of medication through the skin. Transdermal strip contains one more medications prescribed to patient and is designed in such a way that the medication permeates patient's skin in a controlled fashion thus attaining more steady levels of the medication in the body. Transdermal strips are also used to heal minor wounds and abrasions to skin's surface. Transdermal strips are customarily packaged individually in a protective covering which needs to be removed before use, i.e. before application of the strips on patient's skin. Removal of the protective covering typically requires extensive manipulation, using two hands, and consequently the sterility or cleanliness of the strips is compromised.
A variety of dispensing devices for storing and automatically dispensing adhesive transdermal strips have been developed in the art to overcome the disadvantages associated with accessing a transdermal strip for topical use. Such dispensing devices actuate the dispensing of adhesive transdermal strip by mechanical means or by electronic means. Despite efforts to date, the existing dispensing devices fail entirely to provide provisions for monitoring critical clinical informations including dose size, timing and frequency of doses administered to a patient, and for analyzing the monitored data in a way that would be useful for either therapy or in a clinical setting. Furthermore, there is no mechanism to monitor and record the symptoms before and after a dose has been administered to a patient, and communicate the same to doctors, pharmaceutical companies, drug stores or caregiver in real time to enhance patient clinical care. Therefore, pharmaceutical companies, doctors or caregivers have no means to remain connected with the user to learn about the effectiveness of the medication.
There is therefore a need in the art to provide a film dispensing device capable of delivering strips of preselected length providing a predetermined medication dose, when required by user making it convenient for user to store, carry and administer the required doses. Need was also felt of a dispensing device that allows retrieval and application of strips with minimal manipulation, permitting single-hand operation, thereby maintaining sterility of the strips/films. The present disclosure satisfies the existing needs, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies found in the conventional film dispensing devices.
All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all groups used in the appended claims.